Challenges Facing Export of Horticultural Products in Kenya

IntroductionHorticultural deals in growing of fruits, vegetables and flowers while horticultural commodities have been growing in Kenya since 1950`s, the government only began to allocate resources for research and export promotion in late 1960`s. as a result of the government encouragement the volume of horticultural exports from Kenya rose almost 25 fold between 1968-1986, becoming a major source of foreign exchange. The horticultural export sector has experienced rapid growth since 1966 because of the active role by the private sector and minimum government intervention. The European Union is the larges consumer of Kenya horticultural exports Kenya horticultural export to the European Union accounted for 45 percent of the total export in 2000 For most of the horticultural exports products the European Union accounts for the bulk of the trade in Kenya representing 90 percent of Kenya’s total fresh horticultural exports with Holland leading in the market share followed by United Kingdom, France and Germany respectively.

In 1960`s Kenya was largely dependent on two export crops, coffee and tea for foreign exchange earnings. The country was also faced with rapidly growing population, excessive rural-urban migration, and regional inequities. To address the problem the government through the horticultural development plan set the following goals:-

•Increase the productive use of land without depleting land resources •To generate income especially for small scale holders
•To increase foreign exchange earnings
•To expand domestic...